Summer Climate Summary 2013-2014
Overview
As a whole, lower pressures than normal dominated the New Zealand region from December to February.
Wind flow during the season was quite variable with a weak northerly flow present in December, followed by a strong
southwesterly flow anomaly in January. The said flow in December contributed to a very warm start to the summer season
with decidedly cooler and unsettled weather following in January.
With the predominant wind shifting into the southeast in February, there was an intensification of the unusually dry
conditions for the western and central North Island.
Rainfall for the summer season was below normal for much of the North Island (between 50-80 percent of normal summer
rainfall), especially the western Northland, all of the Waikato (excluding the Coromandel Peninsula) and Ruapehu
District.
Areas that were particularly affected by the dryness include the western coastal Waikato, southeast through to northern
portions of the Manawatu-Wanganui region where Turangi and Ohakune recorded approximately 40% of normal summer rainfall.
An exception was eastern Northland where Kerikeri received above normal rainfall (120-150 percent of normal summer
rain).
Areas of the North Island receiving near normal rainfall included Hicks Bay, Castlepoint and Wellington (within 20
percent of normal summer rainfall).
For the South Island, below normal rainfall (50-80 percent of normal) occurred in northern sections from Blenheim to
Nelson as well as Timaru and Queenstown Lakes District.
he remainder of the South Island recorded near normal rainfall (within 20 percent of normal) except for Kaikoura and
Oamaru which recorded above normal rainfall and Ranfurly which received well above normal rainfall (more than 150
percent of normal).
The summer season started off on a warm note throughout the country whereas January was quite a bit cooler and February
ended on an average note. Therefore, temperatures this past summer collectively ended up being near average for most of
the country (within 0.5°C of the summer average).
For full details and regional breakdowns please click here.
ENDS